U.S. Air Force retiree Sean Vagenas rings the bell as part of the Armistice Day ceremony at the Carson Valley Museum & Cultural Center on Monday.
Despite the blustery weather and competition from the Virginia City Veterans Day Parade, around 20 people gathered to hear the old bell at the Carson Valley Museum & Cultural Center ring in Armistice Day in Gardnerville on Monday.
U.S. Air Force retiree Sean Vagenas did the honors of ringing the bell after walking into the museum with his family about five minutes before the event.
A Minden resident, Vagenas served in the Air Force for 20 years, retiring in 2022.
Veterans Day’s predecessor, Armistice Day marked the end of the First World War, Nov. 11, 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
The bell would not have been rung at the school, which was barely a year old when the war ended, because it was housing influenza patients.
On Sunday, oldest Marine Ed Bryant aboard participated in a ceremony conducted at the Douglas County Community & Senior Center in honor of the 249th Marine Corps Birthday.
Bryant served as a corporal with the 9th Marines from 1954 to 1958.
The youngest Marine was Sgt. Douglas Clemons, 29, who served with the 4th Force Recon, A Company, Fourth Recon Battalion.
Destiny Perkins said that the ceremony entailed Bryant and Clemson cutting the cake together using a noncommissioned officer sword.
“The oldest gets the first piece and the youngest gets the second piece,” she said.
The Tahoe-Douglas Elks Lodge conducted its annual Veterans Day Dinner on Saturday with over 170 members and guests.
The Douglas High School JROTC cadets provided the color guard and helped serve dinner.
Several Marines from the Mountain Warfare Center attended the event including center commanding officer Col. Jackson J. Doan. The Elks surprised the Marines with a birthday cake to celebrate the service’s birthday.
